IRISH GARDENING 



63 



the Ivew Hand List as a syuoiiym fur Moraa spa- 

 thacea). Although Tulipa clusiana and T. persica differ 

 from their congeners by not having the same gaudy 

 appearance usually associated with Tulips, they are 

 specially well deserving of a place in the garden 

 Yvherever tliey will grow; the last-named plant has 

 no cup-shaped flower, but it expands its chrome 

 yellow petals to the sun well above the foliage. Many 

 of the Primulas are also out, and perhaps one of the 

 best is P. chionantha, with pale green leaves and pure 

 white flowers. Nevertheless, our ordinary native 

 Anemone neniorosa flore pleno is hard to beat when 

 it is established in the grass; it seems to grow far 

 more densely together in clumps than the type, and 

 at a distance these clumps look like patches^ of snow ; 

 when examined more closely there are few things in 

 nature to surpass it in real beauty. 



J. R. of B. 



Tree and Shrub Notes. 



May usually brings a wealth of flower and leaf, and 

 this year is no exception. After a rather harsh and 

 disastrous April, in ^\■hich very many flowers and 

 young gro\\ths were ruined, copious rains in early 

 May, followed by warmer conditions towards the 

 nijddle of the month, soon worked wonders. In a 

 few days the garden was transformed into a bower 

 of greenery. 



Choisya ternata, the so called Mexican Orange, 

 evergreen and untouched by frost, burst into flower 

 by the middle of the month, the clusters of pure 

 white, faintly Hawthorn-scented flowers Avell dis- 

 played agaist the ternate glistening green leaves. 



Pyras Sargenti, wdth pink buds, in clusters of 

 seven and nine on short spurs all along the branches, 

 gives promise of being a useful and ornamental small 

 tree. The expanded flowers are pure white and very 

 effective in their profusion when suitably placed 

 among other shrubs and trees. Opening just when 

 P. florihuiida is going over Pyrus Sarr/enti ifi a decided 

 acquisition; a native of Japan, where it was dis- 

 covered by Professor Sargent. 



Cotoncaster nitens, a Chinese plant, continues to 

 impress one Avith its neat and cheerful appearance. 

 Although lacking the finer flowers of some other 

 species, and also suffering eclipse in autumn, w^hen 

 the black fruits are dimmed to obscurity hj the more 

 brilliant berries of frigida, Franchettii, appk^nata, 

 &c., j-et now when full of tiny pink buds among 

 the shining leaves it calls for more than a passing 

 glance. 



Cotoneashr iimltiflora, as a small standard with 

 3-4 feet of clean stem and the ^lender, weepiag 

 l^'anches reaching downwards to the soil, is a rare 

 picture when covered like a Thorn with its corymbs 

 of white flowers. This is a shrub which can be 

 lieartily recommended to those who want neat yd 

 graceful early flowering subjects not requiring ton 

 much space. It can be gi'own as a bush or 1raiiio<l 

 to a single stem. 



Cotoncaster muUiflora vAilocarpa differs consider- 

 ably from the type. The habit is stiffer and mor<^ 

 erect, tlie branches stouter and the flowers, at least 

 in young specimens not so freely produced: but in 

 autumn the fruits are larger, brighter in colour and 

 more oinamental. 



yibiiniuiii iuiHrnluiium plication , an old favouiite, 

 is nevertheless still without a rival for flowers. Just 

 now, in the middle of May, the round, ball-like heads 

 of sterile flowers are changing from green to Avhite, 

 and for the next few weeks will be one of the attrac- 

 tions of the garden. 



Viburnum macroccphalum, less conmion and less 

 hardy, is in the same stage, but the " heads " are 



Photo Inn [Misa E. V. Miller. 



IJitANCII SHOWINd (ATKINS OK Pori'LVS (IKNKIiOSA. 



twice the size or more; a good deal of shelter is 

 necessary for this species, except in very mild 

 districts, hence it is not so useful for general plant- 

 ing. Tlie real lover of plants, how ever, wlio does not 



